Bolts’ list of needs lengthy

It starts, obviously, at running back

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INDIANAPOLIS — As of Monday afternoon, this officially became the most anticipated Chargers draft in a half-dozen years.

The search for the new LaDainian Tomlinson is on.

And provided the Chargers don’t pull off a trade for DeAngelo Williams or Steven Jackson, which seems unlikely, it will be in the draft that they attempt to accomplish that mammoth task.

There will be more anticipation for this April’s draft than any year since the Chargers had the first pick in 2004, which they famously used to draft Eli Manning and then traded him for, essentially, Philip Rivers, Nate Kaeding, Roman Oben and Shawne Merriman.

Now, they’re looking for not only a starting tailback but possibly a backup, too, as Darren Sproles could leave in free agency.

That said, the team has other holes to fill with what is currently a total of six picks.

With the NFL Scouting Combine under way this week, here is a look at the Chargers’ needs and where and with whom they might fill them:

Running back

Whether the Chargers spend a first-round pick on a running back is not certain, in part because they might feel comfortable finding a good back in the second round.

“Running backs can be found throughout the draft,” General Manager A.J. Smith has said many times. And he trusts his ability to identify a “steal” later, having selected Michael Turner in the fifth round and Sproles in the fourth.

However, impact running backs are most often found in the first two rounds, and the Chargers have identified an impact running back as their top need. While this is considered a deep class of running backs, to go any deeper than the second round would be a risk.

A half-dozen running backs are expected to go in the first two rounds, with opinions predictably varying as to where they will fall.

There might not be a back worth taking when the Chargers pick at No. 28 unless Smith falls in love with one. He has shown in the past (Eric Weddle, Jacob Hester, Larry English) he doesn’t care what anyone else’s grade on a player is. If Smith wants him, Smith will take him.

The consensus top running back is Clemson’s C.J. Spiller, but he is not expected to last anywhere near as long as the Chargers would need — unless they trade up.

To ensure selecting one of the next cluster of top backs — Fresno State’s Ryan Mathews, Cal’s Jahvid Best or Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer — Smith might have to trade up in the second round.

Defensive end

Ryon Bingham is healthy after missing the 2009 season with a biceps tear, but he might be called on to play tackle. Jacques Cesaire has done a commendable job as a super-sub and fill-in starter the past six seasons, but the Chargers could use a true starter to complement Luis Castillo.

This is a draft deep in 3-4 ends, so the Chargers could spend the 28th pick on someone like Penn State’s Jared Odrick, or they could wait for a half-dozen capable ends likely to be available in the second round.

Nose tackle

Jamal Williams might be too expensive ($6 million) to bring back, and even if he returns for 2010, he is almost certainly finished as a Charger after that. And as good as Ogemdi Nwagbuo played in his first season before getting injured, there is still much to see before saying he could be a full-time, long-term starter.

So the Chargers need to find their next anchor on the line.

That’s easier said than done. For all the top-shelf defensive tackles in the draft, not many of them are suited to play that position in a 3-4, and the Chargers are not drafting high enough.

As one member of the team’s personnel department pointed out, “We’ve been searching for our next nose tackle for a couple years.”

There are a lot of defensive tackles that the so-called experts grade in the first three rounds. Depending on how they address their running back need and which nose tackles are available — Alabama’s Terrence Cody or North Carolina’s Cam Thomas — the Chargers could finally take their first step into the post-Williams era.

Cornerback

There are indications the team will draft a cornerback regardless of whether they strike a deal to trade Antonio Cromartie.

That pick likely would not come too high, as they can groom a young corner behind Antoine Cason.

This pick is necessary, in part, because the Chargers were disappointed in 2009 fifth-round pick Brandon Hughes even before he went on injured reserve last summer.

Right tackle

It is likely Jeromey Clary will start again for the Chargers in 2010, but he is not so secure (nor are the Chargers so deep) that a potential replacement won’t be drafted.

Brandyn Dombrowski played capably for Clary after the latter went on IR in ’09. Coaches have said they won’t limit Dombrowski, but his future is likely at guard.

Inside linebacker

This is a need for down the road, and only if there is a project available in the late rounds.

Every one of the Chargers’ inside linebackers could be gone after 2010, so the team needs to start thinking about depth and perhaps replacement starters.

An intriguing prospect might be Washington’s Donald Butler, a physical and heady player the Chargers could really use as they bolster their run defense.